1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a computer implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for performing an automatic digital rotating inventory count (RIC) using radio frequency identification (RFID) to facilitate the RIC and detect inventory variances in near real-time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, production facilities use a standard inventory method known as a RIC to ensure that inventory accuracy is maintained. This standard RIC process requires facility personnel to go from part bin to part bin in order to physically count each part. The goal of this standard RIC process is to compare the physical part count against inventory management records to determine if any variance exists between the part count and the records. If facility personnel discover a variance, then an inventory coordinator is assigned to investigate the discrepancies and to initiate actions to reconcile the differences.
However, this standard RIC process is an expensive manual process that impacts operations, especially during peak production periods. The standard RIC process may create an interruption in manufacturing capacity either by production stoppage or by directly impacting production personnel workload. In addition, a RIC may become outdated and a subsequent RIC may not be performed as scheduled because of the impact on production. As a result, the purpose of performing a RIC is defeated. Consequently, serious impacts to the production facility may occur due to problems associated with unrecognized inventory variances.
Material requirements planning (MRP) is a software based production planning and inventory control system used to manage manufacturing processes. An MRP system is utilized to ensure materials and products are available for production and delivery to customers, while managing inventory levels and planning execution of various manufacturing activities, such as a RIC.
These MRP systems require production facility personnel to intercept a request to perform a RIC and then take action on the RIC request. As discussed above, these actions are slow, manually intensive, and expensive. In addition, these actions result in stoppage of production and loss of use of inventory locations during the counting process. The production facility incurs these negative impacts during the performance of every standard RIC regardless of the presence of any inventory variance. Furthermore, these processes also are subject to human counting errors and often need to be performed multiple times when a variance occurs.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have an improved computer implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for performing an automatic digital RIC using RFID to facilitate the RIC and identify an inventory variance in near real-time.